Gasket protector



May 8, 1956 J. P. VIDMAR GASKET PROTECTOR Filed July 21, 1953 R w H 6 7 I M J 6 MR i. MA M WM M 1m W v P {H N J United States Patent GASKET PROTECTOR John P. Vidmar, Crosby, Minn, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Hanna Coal & Ore Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware I Application July 21', 1953, Serial No. 369,425

Claims. (Cl. 123-193) This invention relates as indicated to gasket protectors and more especially to means for protecting and thus rendering more efiicien't and lengtheningthe life of gaskets such as are commonly employed in internal combustion engines in the space between the head and block members thereof and encircling the cylindrical openings in the block member in which the pistons are mounted.

In spark ignition type engines there has been a trend toward higher compression ratios which makes more drastic the conditions of temperature and pressure to which the head gaskets of the engine are subjected. In compression ignition type engines the pressures and temperatures go even higher so that in engines of that type the conditions to which the head gaskets are subjected are even more severe.

As one means of providing a better pressure seal in engines of the type utilizing a replaceable cylinder liner it'has been sometimes the practice to have the liner extend above the surface of the block for a short distance on the order of several thousandths of an inch and then arrange the compressible head gasket so that it overlaps the liner and adjacent portions of the head to the end that in the area of overlap with the liner the compressible gasket is compressed to a greater extent than in that portion which overlies the block. This latter expedient has been neces sary in order to effect proper sealing in certain types of compression ignition engines and in that type of engine the relative adjustment of the liner and block to' provide the desired elevation of the former above the surface of the latter has been accomplished by the insertion of shims between the block and the radially extending peripheral flange usually present at the open outer end of the liner. Because of the close tolerances and criticality of the distance by which the latter may thus project above the surface of the head, it is generally not possible to predetermine the thickness of shim necessary. It is thus common ia tented May 8,

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i 2 ing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these'being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. lis a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of an internal combustionengine showing the manner in which a gasket protector of my invention maybe utilized in an engine which is provided with a removable cylinder liner;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a gasket protector constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the protector illustrated in Fig. 2; and e Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion 0 an engine'utilizing the gasket protector of this invention, which engine is of the type in which no removablecylinder liner is employed but instead the cylinder opening is formed directly in the block.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing and more especially to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the structure here illustrated comprises a cylinder liner generally indicated at 4 which is provided with a radially extending flange 5 at its outer end. The flange 5 is adapted to seat in a cylindrical opening 6 formed in block 7. The axial extent of the opening 6, when utilizing the gasket protector of the present invention should be no greater and practice to install the liner with difierent shim thicknesses until the desired projection of the liner above the block surface is attained. Because of the close fit between the liner and the block, this procedure has been laborious and time consuming. I

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a gasket protector for the purpose of preserving and rendering more eificient and lengthening the life of head gaskets generally such as are commonly used in internal combustion engines.

It is a further and more particular object of the inven- I tion to provide a gasket protector by which the laborious shimming operation previously described is either eliminated or reduced to a minimum. D

It is a further and more particular object of the invention to provide a gasket protector which is of relatively low cost and which may be installed with a minimum of modification in engines which as initially built may have been designed to utilize merely the conventional type of compressible gasket.

Other and more particular objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. a

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, thefollowing description andthe annexed drawpreferably less than the axial extent of the flange 5 of the liner 4. t.

The gasket protector of this invention comprises a metallic annulus generally indicated at 10 which is formed of a flat annular portion 11 onthe inner periphery of which there is provided a unitary axially extending flange 12.

When utilizing a gasket protector constructed in accordance with this invention in an engine of the type employing a replaceable cylinder liner such as that indicated at 4-in Fig. l, the outer or upper surface of the flange 5 should bemachined to provide a recess bounded at its inner side by an axially extending flange 8. A compressible gasket 13 is interposed between the block 7 and the head 14. Since it is usually desirableto compress the gasket 13 to a greater'extent along its inner periphery than at its outer edge, the upper surface of the flat portion 11 of the protector should lie a slight distance above the surface of the block 7. A distance on the order of .007 of an inch will generallybe foundsatisfactory. In order to reduce to a minimum the cost of producing the assembly so that protectors of standard .sizes may be utilized,

it is preferable to machine down the upper end of the flange 5 for a distance sufficient so that it will lie below the surface of the block 7 by a distance which is atleast as great as the thickness of the flat portion 11 of the protector. In this way the simple insertion of thin annular shims 9 may be utilized as the means to bring the upper surface of the flat portion 11 to the proper distance above the surface of the block. When thus using shims, the provision of the flange 8 is'of importance in that such flange protects the inner edge of the shims from direct exposure to the pressure and flame in the combustion zone.

It is within the contemplation of this invention however to provide protectors 10 of varying thicknesses of flat portions 11 in'which case the shims 9 may not be necessary.

v Whichever type of arrangement is utilized, it is desirable to have the head or block members provided at least one projection which serves to locate and lied upon to properly locate and align the protector. Alternatively, no recess such as 6 may be provided if the thickness of the flat portion 11 is no greater than that permitted by the compressibility of the gasket 13 in which event a projection such as 8 extending upwardly from the flat surface of the block could be utilized as the aligning means for the protector. Alternatively, a similar projection may be provided on the head to have telescopic engagement with the protector and maintain the same in proper alignment during assembling.

As previously indicated, the protectors of this invention may be utilized in engines which do not employ a removable cylinder liner. One such structure is illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein like reference characters have been employed to designate like parts corresponding to those described previously in connection with Fig. 1.

In the structure illustrated in Fig. 4 shims 9 are shown positioned underlying the protector 10 and the recess which has been machined in the upper surface of the block encircling the cylinder opening in the block. The projection or flange 16 left between the recess 15 and the cylinder opening has the same function and serves the same purpose as described above for flange 8. The same comments made above with respect to the provision of projections on either or both the head and block members to insure proper alignment of the protector during assembly apply equally to Fig. 4.

The protectors 10 of this invention may be formed of any suitable material however it is preferred to form the same of a metal having a relatively high coefficient of thermal conductivity such as copper and its alloys.

The axial extent of the flange 12 on the protector has been shown in the drawings to be such as to extend into substantial contact with the head 14. When the compressibility of the gasket 13 for a proper seal is known, it may be possible to provide an axial extent for the flange 12 so that when the parts are assembled, it will be in direct contact with the head 14. The ductility of copper permitting the protector to be deformed under the clamping pressure of the head may be relied on also to provide for such deformation of the protector if the flange 12 thereof contacts the head 14 before .the latter is fully seated. Ordinarily the axial extent of the flange 12 is a few thousandths greater than the thickness of the head gaskets so that it will compress, making a perfect seal as the head is tightened down, thus protecting the gaskets 13 from any contact with combustion pressures, heat or carbon.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In an internal combustion engine including a cylinder and a detachable head at the combustion end thereof, .a compressible gasket disposed about the cylinder at such end and engaged between the same and \the head, the head being tightly secured to the cylinder against the thus interposed gasket, and a gasket protector ring bridging the space between the adjacent faces of the cylinder and head inwardly of the gasket to form a protective barrier for the same, said ring having a radially extending portion and an inner flange substantially at right angles, the inner peripheral portion of the gasket being received within the included angle portion of the ring.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, characterized further in that said protector ring is seated within a shallow recess provided therefor in such end of the cylinder.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, characterized further in that the depth of such recess is less than the thickness of the radially extending portion of the ring received therewithin.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, characterized further in that the recess of the cylinder is spaced outwardly of the inner wall of the same, whereby an axial extension of the cylinder overlies a portion of the inner flange of the ring.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, characterized further in that such end of the cylinder is provided with an inner axial extension which overlies a portion of the flange of the protector ring.

6. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder block, a cylinder liner in said block, and a head removably secured to said block; a flat annulus seated on the end of said liner adjacent to said head, an axially extending flange integral with said annulus along its inner periphery and extending in contact to said head, and a compressible gasket overlying said flat annulus and said part of said block and compressed by said head.

7. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder block, a cylinder liner in said block, and a head removably secured to said block; a flat metal annulus seated on the end of said liner adjacent to said head, an axially extending metal flange integral with said annulus along its inner periphery and extending in contact to said head, and a compressible basket overlying said flat annulus and said part of said block and compressed by said head.

8. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder block, a cylinder liner in said block, and a head removably secured to said block; a flat copper annulus seated on the end of said liner adjacent to said head, an axially extending copper flange intergal with said annulus along its inner periphery and extending in contact to said head, and a compressible gasket overlying said flat annulus and said part of said block and compressed by said head.

9. In an internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a liner within the cylinder, and a detachable head at the combustion end thereof; a compressible gasket disposed about the cylinder at such end, and a gasket protector ring engaged between the head and the corresponding end of such liner, said ring having an axially extending portion and an outwardly extending radial portion, the first such portion overlying the inner peripheral edge of the gasket and the second being engaged with a contiguous side face of the gasket over a predetermined radial extent.

10. In an internal combustion engine including a cylinder and a detachable head at the combustion end thereof, a liner within such cylinder having a radial flange at its corresponding end received with a recess provided therefor in the cylinder wall, the recess depth being greater than the flange thickness and the liner end further having an inner axial extension which projects slightly above the flange, thereby to define a seat in the form of an annular groove, and a gasket protector ring of general L-shape in cross-section seated in such groove, the axially extending portion of the ring being inwardly located and engaged at its upper edge with the head inwardly of the inner peripheral edge of the gasket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,825,769 Barbarou Oct. 6, 1931 1,880,643 Woolson Oct. 4, 1932 2,161,833 Paget June 13, 1939 2,658,493 Kloss Nov. 10, 1953 2,676,580 Hollingsworth Apr. 27, 1954 2,679,241 Dickson May 25, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 369,142 France Dec. 29, 1906 533,881 Great Britain Feb. 21, 1941 

